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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Three Sisters Garden

Long before white people arrived in this part of the world, numerous Indian tribes grew gardens. The three most popular garden crops grown were corn, squash and beans—crops that became known as the “Three Sisters.” The crops were grown together in close proximity. In a mounded circle about two to three feet across, the Indians planted several corn seeds in the center. Pole-type beans were planted a few inches away from the corn seeds, and squash seeds were planted around the outside of the mound.

The pole beans climbed up the corn stalks and the squash rambled around the mound, shading out weeds. The three crops worked together rather than competed with each other, which is more often the case in a garden.

I’m planning to try an experiment with Three Sisters in my garden this year. We’ll see what happens.